Open-source handwriting note taking tool?

[SuiVu1fa]

I wonder whether there are existing open-source handwriting note taking tool, other than the one in Nickel?

The one in Nickel is closed-source. Furthermore, the file type of notes, i.e. Myscript nebo, is basically inaccessible. I would certainly not use this sort of extremely closed gadgets.

[elinkser]

I was able to install one in a chroot, but I'm not sure if it makes sense for you, since you have to set up all this:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...4&postcount=53


Then:
apk add xournalpp
apk add adwaita-icon-theme

You have to enable touch drawing from the touchscreen section in preferences, or else touch will just pan the screen instead of drawing.

Hope you have a big powerful device, because on the tiny Clara, while usable, is not the most efficient way to enter long HANDWRITTEN notes I would say.

[SuiVu1fa]

I am on my Kobo Elipsa, and I remember that it is basically improbable to be supported by InkBox.

And I suppose that it is pretty redundant to install a full Linux environment. Right now, there are a couple of handwriting apps (such as Linwood Butterfly and Saber) based on Flutter, which are pretty cross-platform (even with a web version), and I guess that it might be not too difficult to migrate to Kobo, given that this is already running on many architectures, but I am not technically equipped to judge.

[Quoth]

But AFAIK all apps/programs that have builtin conversion to text are closed/proprietary.
xouranlpp is note taking like on paper or a white board like the reMarkable has.

Also you need a digitizer. The touch only kobos are too low resolution. Curiously the Libra 2 works with a pen, so you can take notes and save (but not edit a saved file) on Sketchpad.

The xournalpp might be some value on a Libra 2, but as I have a Sage and the notebooks export in various formats I'm not fussed about nebo being "closed". If I didn't have a Sage & Elipsa I might be curious to try xournalpp on the Libra 2. I can't see the point of it for other Kobos that don't work with a pen, or have nebo.

Edit
I'm on Mint 21.2 "Victoria" which is like Ubuntu 22.0 "jammy" for installs, so I'll try Xournal++ on my Linux mint which has a Wacom USB tablet (very like the earlier serial model).

From https://sourceforge.net/projects/xournal.mirror/

Actually The installer tells me my distro has an older version, and that is a better idea, then it tells me it's already installed.
It's pretty and on desktop version lets you switch to keyboard.
It's ultimately a sketching application organised like a notepad, just like the reMarkable, so not a true pen based note taking app at all, since for 20 years, those convert either handwriting or custom "graffiti" to real computer text.

I realise I looked at it before.

[SuiVu1fa]

Originally Posted by Quoth

The xournalpp might be some value on a Libra 2, but as I have a Sage and the notebooks export in various formats I'm not fussed about nebo being "closed".

I have Elipsa, but I can only export to either PDF, or to PNG/JPEG images. This is quite different from the original, where you can easily manipulate existing traces.

[elinkser]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Actually The installer tells me my distro has an older version, and that is a better idea, then it tells me it's already installed.
It's pretty and on desktop version lets you switch to keyboard.
It's ultimately a sketching application organised like a notepad, just like the reMarkable, so not a true pen based note taking app at all, since for 20 years, those convert either handwriting or custom "graffiti" to real computer text.

I realise I looked at it before.

I'm not familiar with these tools, but my main issue on the Kobo Clara HD was that I had to wait almost a second for each letter to complete. EDIT: But it would still be handy even on my low-powered Clara for one-line notes or doodles, just not ideal for long handwritten notes.
As a non-pro user, I still could see me using the text-entry tool to add - and edit - text with the keyboard, as opposed to the pen, if I am annotating a PDF.
I could reserve the pen for doodles, which would be editable by the erase tool.

I see there is an ongoing discussion about text recognition:
https://github.com/xournalpp/xournalpp/issues/2152

Also maybe there are other options like OpenBoard and Jarnal, or even LibreOffice Draw?
I would have to test them out someday.

https://alternativeto.net/feature/handwriting/

[elinkser]

Originally Posted by SuiVu1fa

I am on my Kobo Elipsa, and I remember that it is basically improbable to be supported by InkBox.

And I suppose that it is pretty redundant to install a full Linux environment. Right now, there are a couple of handwriting apps (such as Linwood Butterfly and Saber) based on Flutter, which are pretty cross-platform (even with a web version), and I guess that it might be not too difficult to migrate to Kobo, given that this is already running on many architectures, but I am not technically equipped to judge.

Just to clarify, the chroot is not InkBox, and is invoked from NickelMenu, and can share designated folders with the regular Nickel environment, but I could understand it not fitting into everyone's workflow, as you can't just switch between environments - you power off to leave the chroot.
* Also apps in the chroot are desktop apps that were not curated for the eink/small screen device, unlike Nickel, KOReader, Plato, InkBox, etc...so there is a learning curve for the user to adapt to the app.

Anyway, as I found the lag on the display of letters was almost one second on the Clara, you would probably end up choosing the keyboard to annotate text, and using the pen mainly for images. So maybe not at the level of functionality you're used to.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by SuiVu1fa

I have Elipsa, but I can only export to either PDF, or to PNG/JPEG images. This is quite different from the original, where you can easily manipulate existing traces.

Use Advanced, not Basic and convert. Then you can export docx (includes shapes and images and unconverted text), txt or HTML(not used it).

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by elinkser

Anyway, as I found the lag on the display of letters was almost one second on the Clara, you would probably end up choosing the keyboard to annotate text, and using the pen mainly for images. So maybe not at the level of functionality you're used to.

A Clara supports a digitiser pen?

Even on a Sage, I only use the keyboard and short comments with big highlights when annotating proofs.

[NiLuJe]

People seem to vastly overestimate what Flutter actually is/does.

Spoiler alert: no, it won't help you getting stuff to work on a Kobo. (In fact, it might make it *significantly* harder to port something).

[elinkser]

Originally Posted by Quoth

A Clara supports a digitiser pen?

The pen tool as opposed to the text tool.
Although I do use a cheap pen that's a cut above the dollar store ones.
https://www.gadgetexplained.com/2018...tylus.html?m=1

[Quoth]

A "pen/stylus" for a capacitive or IR* touch screen does little more than avoid finger grease. You need a built in digitiser for any sort of decent drawing or notes, unless you are good at drawing and writing with a potato and paint. A minimum would be a high resolution resistive touch screen but those are long gone.

[* Only some work with IR touch]